German-Israeli relations have a special significance due to the history of the Jewish German population during the Nazi era. Since the end of World War II, Germany has stipulated the security of the Israeli state as a central aim. The latest developments in international politics have also influenced the usually stable German-Israeli relations.
The Holocaust against the Jewish population by the Nazis during World War II is considered the greatest crime in the history of Europe. Some 6 million people of Jewish descent were persecuted and systematically killed with the intention of exterminating an entire race. After the end of World War II, the so-called "denazification" began in Europe, especially in Germany. Subsequently, Germany's foreign policy strategy in the Middle East was based on full solidarity with the newly founded Israeli state. So far, Germany has always consistently pursued and carried out this established reason of state.
In an article, the German state defined its policy toward Israel as follows: "The unique relations between Germany and Israel are a cornerstone of German foreign policy. Germany stands up for the right of the State of Israel to exist. As an active partner in the EU, it promotes peace efforts in the Middle East. In the U.N., Germany advocates fair dealings with the parties to the conflict in the Middle East." Germany also supports the educational and cultural sector in Israel in the form of projects and organizations, such as the Goethe Institute and the Max Planck Society. Germany has also paid Israel compensation of around 74 billion euros ($81.16 billion) on account of the Jews killed during the Holocaust. For Israel, Germany is not an insignificant partner: With a trade volume of 6.6 billion euros in 2020, Germany is Israel's most important partner in the European Union.
Germany's Middle East policy is clearly centered on the conflict between Israel and Palestine and Israel's security interests with regard to Iran. The close partnership between Germany and Israel means that Germany has a very one-sided perspective on this conflict. During her farewell visit to Israel, former Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear that Israel's security was a priority in Germany's Middle East policy. In particular, Merkel's statement that Israel's security interests are not about taking a neutral position sums up German Middle East policy very well. Merkel's statements were as follows: “Because Israel is a Jewish democratic state in an environment where there are no democracies in our sense, it is so important that we have relations with each other across the whole range of our activities. It's about not being neutral, but taking a clear position in favor of Israel's security, no matter how difficult the situation.”
Merkel's statements show that Germany, which otherwise adopts the image of a neutral mediator, consistently pursues its pro-Israeli policy and makes no secret of it. This policy also affects freedom of expression within Germany. The Deutsche Welle (DW) newspaper, for example, has stipulated in its principles that journalists working there are not permitted to question Israel's right to exist or to refer to Israel as an apartheid state. "We as DW never question Israel's right to exist as a state, nor do we allow people to do so in our reporting. We never refer to an Israeli 'apartheid' or an 'apartheid regime in Israel,'" according to DW's statements.
DW is known for its censorship of statements that criticize Israel. In his interview, journalist Ali Abunimah spoke about the occupation of Palestinian territory by Israeli soldiers and held Germany partly responsible for allowing Israel to continue their illegal settlement policy. DW removed the interview from its homepage shortly afterward. Another example at DW is the expulsion of Maram Salim and four other journalists from the German media outlet. The reason given by DW for the expulsion of the journalists was that the employees had allegedly made anti-Semitic statements. Salim wrote the following on her Facebook page: “There's a lot of red lines that you really can't talk about here when it comes to Israel. And I think it's absurd, at least (for me) as a Palestinian who lived in the (occupied) West Bank for most of her life, that even saying normal stuff about what Israel is doing in the West Bank and (blockaded) Gaza, can be and will be held against me in Germany,” she said. “Germany (says) it supports freedom of speech, but (my) saying that there is no freedom of speech in Europe was enough for them to suspend me and actually accuse me of being anti-Semitic,” Maram said.
Recent developments in international politics are causing states to adopt a different approach to their foreign policy strategy. Above all, the Russia-Ukraine war is also influencing German-Israeli relations. While Germany takes a clear negative stance toward Russia and shows solidarity for Ukraine, Israel takes a neutral role between the two parties to the conflict.
During the inaugural visit of the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Israel at the beginning of March and the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to Berlin shortly afterward, it became clear that intergovernmental relations are no longer as natural as they used to be. While Scholz promoted sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, Bennett did not comment on either arms deliveries to Ukraine or sanctions against Russia. Bennett had visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow shortly before his trip to Berlin. This clearly shows that Israel would rather play the role of a mediator than choose a party to the conflict. Israel's relations with Russia are particularly important because of Israeli security interests in Syria and Iran. On the other hand, Israel also wants to keep their relations with the West stable.
From Germany's perspective, in addition to the changes in international politics, one should also be aware of domestic political developments. The new coalition government consisting of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) are pursuing a foreign policy that, at least in theory, is based on morality, human rights and values. During her inaugural visit to Tel Aviv, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) criticized Israel's settlement policy and called for a two-state solution. Germany would be ready to mediate between the Israelis and the Palestinians in a political process. To what extent, and if at all, the new German government will implement Baerbock's statements in its foreign policy is questionable. Israel still receives strong support from the German media, which often censor statements critical of Israel. Israeli policy is far too deeply anchored in the German reason of state for Germany to be able to change this policy in the short and midterm. However, German-Israeli relations have also experienced better times.
